


Because Six Adventures Wasn't Enough

by Sillus



Series: Nice to meet... me? [1]
Category: Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda) - Fandom, Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Hyrule is a good boy, Internal Conflict, Legend blames Hylia, Magic, Protective Legend, Time Travel Bullshit, because its Legend, cursing, graveyards, i tried guys, i would too tbh, save my sons, why is that not a tag?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 09:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19742656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sillus/pseuds/Sillus
Summary: “Did I fuckingtime travel?” Link shouts, waving the hand with the marking. “Because there’s no way there should be two of these stupid things here right now.”“I would say no, because that’s impossible, but that actually makes sense,” the boy says, giving the idea legitimate thought. “What year is it?” The boy asks.“It’s 614,” Link replies without missing a beat. The boy blinks.“Okay, so that’s not the year at all. Try 1394.”“I fuckingtime traveled.” Link groans, hiding his face in his hands. “I didn’t even touch the Harp of Ages. How thefuckdid I time travel?” He pauses. “And that’s almost eight centuries ahead of my time, too.”“Man, the old documents were way off,” the boy mumbles under his breath. “They said six centuries before they were all destroyed.”





	Because Six Adventures Wasn't Enough

**Author's Note:**

> So this idea has been in my head for a couple days now. It only took one night of not being able to sleep for it to spiral out of control.  
> So enjoy!

_You know_ , Link thought as he takes in the sands of the surrounding beach, _you’d think that after saving Hyrule, saving Holodrum—and by extension, Subrosia—saving Labrynna, “saving” Koholint, saving Hyrule again, saving Lorule, and then saving Hytopia, that the goddess would give me a damn break already, right?_

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Link has no memory as to how he ended up on this beach, clothed in the tunic he had since ditched after the adventure in Lorule, and armed to the teeth with weapons and jewelry from all his adventures. He had simply woken up, saw the Triforce of Courage glowing on his left hand, and concluded that this was Hylia’s doing. _Again_.

So much for going back to blacksmithing. He was always late to the job anyway.

Link does not waste any time, immediately checking what rings he is wearing, what items and weapons he has on-hand, and keeping an eye on the suspiciously empty beach. He is quickly distracted by the fact that he is wearing seventeen rings, Ravio’s bracelet, _and_ the makeshift necklace holding the medallions.

“This had better be a good one,” Link mutters, shouldering his bag on and doing one last sweep over the beach. Still empty, and no hints as to where he should go. Shrugging, Link decides _that way will do_ and sets off in a random direction on what would probably be his seventh adventure.

Because let’s be real; If Hylia is involved, this will be his seventh adventure. The Triforce of Courage is strong evidence of this.

It does not take Link very long to find the graveyard. From what he can see, it is _massive_ , stretching far beyond his line of sight. Like the beach, it is devoid of any life and eerily silent. Link, however, merely shrugs once more and keeps walking, slipping between the unmarked graves and wrinkling his nose when he registers the smell of decaying wood.

Hindsight says this was a terrible course of action to take for one as experienced as him.

If there is a graveyard here, then some sort of civilization must be nearby. Abandoned or not, Link won’t complain. There must be something around that can tell him where he is and why he is even here.

A faint groan makes his ears twitch, and Link pauses in his meandering. A monster? Or somebody hurt? Another groan sounds. Then another. Then another. Ghostly figures crawl out of the ground, ghastly faces twisted in pain, bodies distorted beyond what was reasonably considered “human.” They crawl toward him, pale, bony fingers clawing at his shoes.

“ _Blood_ …” they moan. “ _Sacrifice. Triforce_.”

“Fuck,” Link growls in reply.

He kicks away the hands, only for more to replace them. He tries to unsheathe his sword, but one of the hands grabs his wrist. Link rips his arm free and vaults over one of the wooden crosses, losing a shoe in the process to one stubborn hand. Thank whatever divine being that has taken pity on him that he remembered to wear socks—because it sure isn’t Hylia that’s watching out for him. Link abandons any semblance of caution he might have had and tears through the graveyard, kicking rotted offerings aside and ripping up some of the wooden markers to fling at the hoard behind him. The ghouls screech and give chase, ripping apart the half-assed projectiles.

“Moron,” Link grunts, swerving around a headstone in hopes of gaining a bit of ground. It doesn’t work. “Bad things always happen in graveyards!” And yet, Link has never encountered a hoard like this. He has certainly been surrounded by monsters before, but a _wall_ of monsters in a stampede heading straight for him? Link is experienced, not stupid.

“ _Blood._ ”

“ _Sacrifice_.”

“ _Triforce_.”

“ _Ganon._ ”

_“Kill._ ”

“ _ **Revive!**_ ”

“ _ **Blood!**_ ”

“ _ **Hero!**_ ”

“ _ **Triforce!**_ ”

“ _ **GANON!**_ ”

Link slaps his hands over his ears, trying to block out the screams and chants, but to no avail. They only continue to grow louder and louder as the hoard closes in on him. The medallions bounce against his chest as he pumps his legs, striving to go just a _little faster_ —

The medallions!

Link fingers them as he runs. The Quake Medallion will only turn them into a hoard of slime. Admittedly hilarious in thought, but still potentially dangerous—especially if Link loses his balance in the earthquake caused by it. The Bombos Medallion will surely kill them all, but the following explosions may also kill Link, if they don’t incapacitate him. The Ether Medallion is the best option, but it may not kill them all. If it doesn’t, then Link is out of magic and exhausted; easy prey for some ghouls, or whatever these things are. But it may be his only option at this point.

A hand snags onto his tunic, and Link decides right then and there that it is now or never. He closes his hand around Ether.

Lightning sets the sky ablaze with its light. The ghouls howl in agony as the bolts strike them down. Link runs a few more yards before coming to a stop, panting. He turns around and watches as the ghouls desperately try to seek refuge underground, only for the lightning to halt their progress. They burst into dark smoke and dissipate in the air—now with traces of electricity in it.

Link gapes, letting a hand fall from his medallion. That was not Ether.

Thunder rumbles from the dark clouds, and Link cannot recall when they had gotten there. Footsteps echo throughout the graveyard, and Link draws his sword in anticipation, his heart racing wildly. A boy appears before him, heaving for breath. He takes one look at Link’s aggressive stance and throws his hands up in surrender.

“Woah, woah!” He yelps, though the effect is lost amid his heavy breathing. “I’m not a monster!”

Brown hair, green eyes, tanned skin… Link finally registers that the boy is in fact a _boy_. As in a _human_.

He lowers his sword. “Great Din,” Link sighs, “You’re human. Goddesses above, you’re an actual human.”

The boy chuckles, and Link can feel the magic radiating from him. He tenses but does not raise his sword. He does not sheath it either. The boy is also armed with an assortment of items and weapons.

“I know that feeling all too well,” The boy says. “Yes, I am human.”

“Was that lightning storm you?” Links asks, already knowing the answer. The boy hesitates, but then nods.

“Yes. How did you know?”

Link snorts and sheaths his weapon, relaxing just a little. The boy is not a liar. “I can practically see the magic rolling off of you. What special charm gives you the ability to summon lightning storms like that?”

The boy looks confused. “Special charm? I haven’t heard of anyone using charms to perform magic. The storm I summoned is a spell called Thunder.”

“Since when could people aside from the Seven Sages use magic without some kind of charm or item?” Link asks. “Unless… You’re one of their kids? But they are all kind of young to have a kid as old as you…” Except Impa, but she never had kids. Link had asked.

The boy—Link really needs to get his name—raises an eyebrow. “The seven sages? Those are just legends, aren’t they? Did you hit your head or something?”

“Did you?” Link shoots back. “The Seven Sages aren’t just legends. They helped me on two of my journeys, actually.”

“But the Seven Sages haven’t been around for centuries!” The boy protests.

Before Link can reply, the groans start back up again. The boy pales, and Link can imagine he does the same, “We need to leave!” The boy grabs Link’s wrist and begins to haul him back the way Link came from. “I don’t have enough magic to deal with another hoard and fighting them with physical weapons is a terrible idea!”

“I have a charm that’s similar to your spell, but it will sap all my energy away,” Link shouts, coming up beside the boy. “Is this a common occurrence?”

“Yes! It’s a _graveyard!_ ” The boy yells, as if Link had just asked him if the sky was blue. “We can make it if we keep running! If we get trapped, use your charm! I’ll give you a potion so you can keep going!”

“Got it!” Link lets the boy lead him, pulling his wrist free to grasp his hand instead. They weave around the headstones and wooden crosses, occasionally slowing down to kick away the bony hands. Link snags his boot on the way, letting out a cheer that is drowned out by the screams and chants. They fly from the graveyard moments later, stumbling onto the beach. The ghouls stop at the edge of the graveyard, still screaming, but now in frustration instead of frankly creepy chanting. Link allows himself to sink onto the sand, the boy following suit. They heave for breath, wary eyes watching the ghouls as they slowly begin to retreat into the forest of rotting wood and old stone.

“That chanting is seriously creepy,” Link remarks, leaning back on his hands and stretching his legs out.

The boy, sprawled out on his back beside him, winces. “Yeah, that’s kinda my fault. Sorry about that.”

“How is that your fault?” Link asks.

The boy sighs. “All monsters have been stalking me for three years. They need my blood to revive Ganon. That’s what the chanting is about.”

“The hell did you do?” Link mutters, giving the boy a perplexed look. “Did you curse yourself or something? Or are you some holy child whose blood is able to revive anyone?”

The boy laughs. “Nah, nothing like that. I killed Ganon three years ago.”

Three years ago? But Link had sealed him away six months ago.

“You’re funny,” Link says. “Now what’s the real story?”

“Uh… I killed Ganon three years ago?” The boy sits up, confusion evident on his face. “Now all the monsters need my blood to revive him?”

“That’s impossible,” Link states. “I just sealed him six months ago. For the third time.”

There was a tense moment of silence between the two, their eyes boring into the other’s. _The eyes are the windows to the soul_ , his uncle had told him when Link had been a small child, _the eyes will never deceive you._

But the boy’s eyes… those green eyes held no malice, no dishonesty.

The boy is not a liar.

“Where am I?” Link asks.

The boy blinks, startled. “Uh… just south of Mido Town.”

“And where is Mido Town?” Link presses. “Holodrum? Labyrnna?”

“Hyrule,” the boy answers, and Link narrows his eyes.

“There is no Mido Town in Hyrule.” But the boy wasn’t lying _that_ time either.

“Yes there is. Look, you must’ve hit your head or maybe one of those monsters cursed you without either of us realizing it. The doctor in Mido Town can—“

“I’ve been cursed plenty of times before. I know I’m not cursed now.” Link interrupts, scowling. “And I didn’t hit my head.”

“Then you’re foreign to Hyrule?” The boy guesses.

“I _live_ in Hyrule,” Link snaps. “I’ve saved this damn kingdom twice!”

“Really? Because I don’t recall _anyone_ saving the kingdom before I did,” the boy drawls. “Well, if killing Ganon counts as saving the kingdom when said kingdom is already in a state of decline and there are monster hoards everywhere,” he adds in a mutter.

Link jabs a finger at himself. “I sealed Ganon away _six months ago!_ Do you not remember that whole ordeal? Where those fissures appeared in the walls? Where the castle was overtaken by some maniac who made soldiers from paintings?”

“You expect me to believe that?” The kid scoffs, which only angers Link even more, until the kid keeps going. “That was centuries ago. That was one of the Hero of Legend’s journeys.”

Link holds up his left hand, feeling the Triforce of Courage begin to glow. “I _am_ the Hero of Legend.”

The boy gawks at him. Link raises an eyebrow. “Still sure you didn’t hit your head?” Link asks.

“H-how…” the boy takes Link’s hand, running his fingers over the mark. It shines brighter at the touch. “That’s… there’s no way…”

“Take your time.”

The boy’s eyes flick between Link’s eyes and the mark on his hand. Then, hesitantly, the boy holds up his own left hand.

And there, shining in the same spot, is a second Triforce of Courage.

“What the hell?” Link splutters in surprise, tearing his hand from the boy’s grasp and glancing at it. The marking is still there, shining like nothing is wrong. But the boy’s hand _also_ has the marking.

“The last person to have the Triforce of Courage died six centuries ago,” the boy explains, bewildered. “That was the Hero of Legend. But I’ve never heard of there being two Triforces before!”

“Did I fucking _time travel?_ ” Link shouts, waving the hand with the marking. “Because there’s no way there should be two of these stupid things here right now.”

“I would say no, because that’s impossible, but that actually makes sense,” the boy says, giving the idea legitimate thought. “What year is it?” The boy asks.

“It’s 614,” Link replies without missing a beat. The boy blinks.

“Okay, so that’s not the year at all. Try 1394.”

“I fucking _time traveled_.” Link groans, hiding his face in his hands. “I didn’t even touch the Harp of Ages. How the _fuck_ did I time travel?” He pauses. “And that’s almost eight centuries ahead of my time, too.”

“Man, the old documents were way off,” the boy mumbles under his breath. “They said six centuries before they were all destroyed.”

Link ignores him. “I don’t even have the Harp of Ages on me, either! So how am I going to— “

Wait a minute.

_I killed Ganon three years ago_ , the boy had said. _All monsters have been stalking me for three years. They need my blood to revive Ganon._

“Uh, you okay?” The boy asks, looking concerned. “You’re shaking.”

If any of this is real, then that means that the boy has fought Ganon. Link has sealed him three times, and none of them have been permanent. This boy— _he’s just a boy_ —had to take up the sword and save the world just like Link. Everything he did… Hyrule, the Dark World, Holodrum, Labrynna, Subrosia, Lorule…

Everything he did was for _nothing_.

“Ah… um… mister? Mr. Hero? Mr. Legend?” The boy’s hands find his shoulders. Six journeys, and Link ultimately failed to keep evil at bay, and now his kingdom is overrun by ghouls and hoards of monsters.

“I really think we should go see that doctor…” the boy says, a flicker of panic in his eyes.

Did Link make a mistake somewhere? He followed the legends of old. He followed them twice, and both times he supposedly emerged victorious. Except, those legends of old depicted the story of the Defeated Hero, or what little was left about them. In truth, there was very little information about them.

Because of that, had Link unknowingly followed in that hero’s footsteps? Did he doom his kingdom?

“ _Hey!_ ” Link jumps, but the hands on his shoulders keep him from scrambling away from the boy, whose eyes are wide and filled with fear. Why is he scared? Are the ghouls back? He still has enough magic for Ether, so the boy could get away while Link deals with them.

“Breathe,” the boy says. “You are on a beach. There is an old graveyard behind me. It is almost sundown. _Breathe_.” Link realizes that he is trembling, every breath hitching in his throat and making a wheezing sound. He digs his fingers into the sand, looks into those green eyes— _far too innocent_ —and takes a deep breath. Slowly, but surely, his trembling fades and those eyes lose their fear.

“You okay, Mr. Hero?”

“Mr. Hero?” Link mumbles, and the boy smiles sheepishly.

“Ah, well… I don’t know your actual name.”

“Oh.” Link is abruptly reminded of Ravio. What is with him and meeting people he shouldn’t be able to meet in the first place, and them calling him “Mr. Hero”? “It’s Link,” Link says after a moment, and the boy barks out a laugh.

“Seriously? Your name is Link?”

“Yeah? Last I checked it was.” Link is not entirely sure why the boy is laughing. Is Link really such an odd name in this time period?

“That’s _my_ name,” the boy chuckles.

“Oh, for _Din’s sake!_ ”

* * *

After hashing out a couple details, and an irrational amount of complaining about how impossible the entire situation was, the two eventually decided to give themselves nicknames.

Because having the same name as your companion was bound to lead to some frustration and confusion.

The boy was named the Hero of Hyrule after he defeated Ganon three years prior and woke up Princess Zelda from an eternal sleep one year prior—Link was startled to learn that there was another Zelda in the distant future. They decided he would go by Hyrule, as he apparently didn’t have a surname or any other nicknames given to him by someone else. And because Link decided to call him by his title, Hyrule decided to do the same and promptly dubbed him Legend.

_You’re a literal fairy tale here_ , Hyrule had said, _and if you’re gonna call me by my title, it seems only fair to call you by yours. Or do you prefer Mr. Hero?_

Hyrule is leading him to Mido Town, as there is an inn they can stay at there. When Legend asked why they needed an inn if they were both used to roughing it, Hyrule only said that you did not want to be caught outside at night. Legend decided to leave that topic be and change the subject.

He would have changed it to a more lighthearted subject, but the guilt is tearing him apart inside.

“I’m sorry.”

Hyrule glances at him. “What for?”

Legend waves a hand, gesturing at their desolate surroundings. “For all of… this, I suppose. You said that the last person to have the Triforce of Courage was me, so that means I was the last person to fight Ganon before you. So, I obviously messed up somewhere along the way and caused this to happen.”

Hyrule, much to Legend’s surprise, stops and turns to face him fully. He crosses his arms and levels Legend with a glare. “Are you really going to blame yourself for something that was out of your control after sealing away the greatest evil ever known to mankind for eight centuries?” He asks in such a deadpan voice that it makes Legend wince. “Because our home has known a relative peace for those eight centuries. Sure, the kingdom wasn’t exactly prospering, but it was _your_ actions that kept the people safe from Ganon.”

“And yet, the seal didn’t last,” Legend replies. “You still had to fight.”

“I’m seventeen. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

“But you shouldn’t have _had to fight_ ,” Legend snarls in a sudden burst of anger. Hyrule flinches. “You shouldn’t have had to fight because it was _my job_ to make sure Ganon never returned. It was _my job_ to make sure our kingdom was safe. You say you’re seventeen? That means you were _fourteen_ when you first picked up the sword and went off to save the world. And that was the very thing I was trying to _prevent_ for six years now! And of course _dear Hylia_ couldn’t have found a hero a little older, or hold the seal a little longer, before Ganon broke free. Instead, she dragged _another_ fourteen year old kid into doing her bidding without a care for all the trauma that comes with fighting Ganon.

“I _failed_ ,” Legend bites back a sob, clenching his hands into fists, his anger fading into guilt. “I failed you and I’m _sorry_.”

Hyrule surges forward and Legend flinches back, expecting to be tackled or hit or something. Instead, Hyrule surprises him yet again by flinging his arms around Legend’s shoulders and pulling him close.

A hug, Legend realizes belatedly.

“You’re not listening,” Hyrule gently chastises. “You kept the kingdom safe for _eight centuries_. You’re the reason there’s even a Hyrule right now instead of a wasteland filled with monsters. You’re the reason I’m even alive to prevent Ganon from coming back.” Hyrule squeezes him, and Legend gives into the urge to clutch at his tunic and lean into the embrace. “I have something to protect because of you. I have a reason to fight because of you. You didn’t fail, not at all. You kept Hyrule alive. And I’m proud to be your successor.”

“You were so young,” Legend mumbles. He is still too young in Legend’s opinion.

“So were you,” Hyrule shoots back. “And yet your journeys became legends that survive far beyond your lifetime. Do you really think people would remember so much for so long if you weren’t essentially worshiped?”

Legend thinks about the Defeated Hero and shakes his head. Hyrule pulls away and gives him a small smile.

“Exactly.” Then, “Mido Town is a half hour away at most. You coming?”

Legend returns the smile and nods, falling in step with Hyrule as they continue walking across the beach.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Later, when they both wake up in a foreign field, Legend will let out a string of curses and Hyrule will have a mini heart attack, but they will also find solace in the fact that they are not alone this time.

That, and in Legend’s threats to take the Harp of Ages and snap it in half to stop all this time traveling bullshit.

**Author's Note:**

> I headcanon that Hyrule is an experienced and humble traveler, but he's also rather innocent. Pair with Legend, and you get Legend fist-fighting anyone who says anything bad about his boy.  
> Also, for those of you who are wondering, Legend is twenty.  
> I hope you enjoyed! I've never posted any of my fanfics before, so here's to hoping the formatting isn't stupid.  
> I have plans for more first meetings like this one. I'll eventually get around to them... maybe.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] Because Six Adventures Wasn't Enough](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20658320) by [nerdiests](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdiests/pseuds/nerdiests)




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